Is it optimal to bake cookies on parchment paper or silicone baking mats?

chef_carol

Based on this recent question, it seems parchment paper is the clear winner when compared to either foil or baking directly on the pan. But I wonder whether it would actually be better or more optimal than using silicone baking mats. I've been using various sized silicone mats for years now, mostly out of sheer convenience, but wonder whether I am missing out having gone away from parchment paper.

Originally asked by Jason P Sallinger on Stack Exchange (cooking) (CC BY-SA 4.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

Stella Parks from seriouseats.com has a write-up on parchment paper vs silicone mats for cookie baking. In short: silicone mats are more slippery than parchment paper, so cookies spread more and end up thinner and crispier. If a recipe was designed for parchment paper, this can mean that the same cookies baked on a silicone mat bake up too thin, too brown, and the wrong texture. Further, silicone mats don't absorb any fat, so cookies baked on them can turn out greasier than on parchment.

Full answer by Esther: https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/136651 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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